Bratty

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹæti/

Definitions

1. Displaying a tendency to act in a self-centered, disruptive way often leads to immature and irritating behaviors
2. Exhibiting behavior that is irritating due to selfishness and childishness
3. Showing immature and demanding actions that often provoke annoyance

Etymology: The adjective is simply "brat" with the suffix "-y," which turns a noun into a description of someone who has the quality of the noun. The noun itself began as a coarse garment. In Middle English, a "brat" was a rough apron or cloak, and the sense of a child arrived later, probably by contempt: a child was a ragged, unkempt thing to be dressed in rags. Once "brat" meant a spoiled, demanding child, "-y" let speakers describe that behavior in anyone. Someone who sulks, whines, and insists on their own way is "bratty," whatever their age. A separate, unrelated "brat" is a cake of dried dung used as fuel in India. Its origin is uncertain, though it has been linked to Tamil or Kannada, and it has no clear connection to the childish sense.

Synonyms: spoiled, rude, impudent, naughty, disobedient

Antonyms: well-behaved, obedient, polite